News about the increasingly operatic breakup between Cecilia Cheung (張柏芝) and Nicholas Tse (謝霆鋒) continues to dominate the grapevine even following the revelation and supposed papering over of what has now become known as the “airplane incident” (機上事件) in which Cheung was recently photographed with her ex-lover Edison Chen (陳冠希). Chen was responsible for a ruckus between Cheung and Tse in 2008 when explicit photos of his sexual adventures, which prominently featured Cheung, were posted on the Internet.
Since the incriminating in-flight photo was published, there have been rumors stemming from one blogger claiming to be a close friend of the couple that this trivial incident had been set aside and that cordial, if not warm, relations had been re-established between the two. This rapprochement either didn’t last long or never actually happened, for in developments this week, Cheung appears to have taken her two children away from the Tse household in an act that the Apple Daily suggests is aimed at causing maximum anxiety to Tse’s mother, Deborah Lee (狄波拉), who reportedly dotes on her two grandchildren.
This most recent action on Cheung’s part has added fuel to the fire in the ongoing battle between Cheung and Lee, who, according to the Apple Daily, hasn’t been a fan of the marriage since first learning of their nuptials in the Philippines through newspaper reports in 2006.
Photo: Taipei Times
The paper suggests that Lee may well be the source of a stream of information about Cheung’s lack of mothering skills, and it is a matter of record that Cheung has put career and lifestyle well ahead of her role of wife and mother. After the most recent marital debacle, the couple continued to pursue their separate careers, though on the financial front, rumors that Cheung is doing her best to suck as much money out of Tse’s family as possible are gaining currency.
According to a report in the United Daily News, Cheung has obtained control over much of Tse’s NT$2.2 billion personal fortune in the course of their marriage. The welfare of their two children and threats of suicide have reportedly been the bargaining chips used in these financial settlements.
Tse, who has not been without his own extra-marital entanglements, has complicated matters with his ongoing friendship with Gillian Chung (鍾欣桐), who, as it happens, was also featured in Chen’s Internet photo scandal. In a revelation earlier this week, Tse reportedly told a friend that “she [Cheung] isn’t my wife any more” (她不再是我的女人).
Still, the situation between Cheung and Tse remains fluid, and nobody in the gossip media is prepared to make any predictions about the outcome.
In a report published yesterday in Hong Kong’s Orient Daily (東方日報) citing an unnamed source close to Tse, the film star has summoned his lawyer to Kuala Lumpur, where he is currently filming, in order to consult on the implications of divorce and custody proceedings. Tse’s father Patrick Tse (謝賢), who had previously taken Cheung’s side in the many matrimonial ups and downs, seems to be closing ranks with his wife and son.
As for Chen, who remains the granddaddy of the explicit photo leak, it seems that he is at it again, though in this instance, the lack of explicit detail has caused some agencies to suggest that Chen is simply playing the media for a fool. The photos to have emerged following the “airplane incident” are of him and Huang Rongmi (黃榕密), a minor Hong Kong starlet who, it is suggested, Chen has had a three-year relationship with. Huang is quoted by Now.com as stating that: “I don’t care if he wants it all day, I’ll always go over. He is very clean, and will always bathe first.” It can’t help but make one wonder when elementary personal hygiene counts for so much among members of the entertainment industry. In the same report, friends of Huang are quoted as suggesting that Chen makes constant sexual demands and will not tolerate refusal. Clearly the scandal of 2008 has done little the tame his appetites.
Last week saw the appearance of another odious screed full of lies from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) Ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian (肖千), in the Financial Review, a major Australian paper. Xiao’s piece was presented without challenge or caveat. His “Seven truths on why Taiwan always will be China’s” presented a “greatest hits” of the litany of PRC falsehoods. This includes: Taiwan’s indigenous peoples were descended from the people of China 30,000 years ago; a “Chinese” imperial government administrated Taiwan in the 14th century; Koxinga, also known as Cheng Cheng-kung (鄭成功), “recovered” Taiwan for China; the Qing owned
In Taiwan’s politics the party chair is an extremely influential position. Typically this person is the presumed presidential candidate or serving president. In the last presidential election, two of the three candidates were also leaders of their party. Only one party chair race had been planned for this year, but with the Jan. 1 resignation by the currently indicted Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) two parties are now in play. If a challenger to acting Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) appears we will examine that race in more depth. Currently their election is set for Feb. 15. EXTREMELY
Jan. 20 to Jan. 26 Taipei was in a jubilant, patriotic mood on the morning of Jan. 25, 1954. Flags hung outside shops and residences, people chanted anti-communist slogans and rousing music blared from loudspeakers. The occasion was the arrival of about 14,000 Chinese prisoners from the Korean War, who had elected to head to Taiwan instead of being repatriated to China. The majority landed in Keelung over three days and were paraded through the capital to great fanfare. Air Force planes dropped colorful flyers, one of which read, “You’re back, you’re finally back. You finally overcame the evil communist bandits and
They increasingly own everything from access to space to how we get news on Earth and now outgoing President Joe Biden warns America’s new breed of Donald Trump-allied oligarchs could gobble up US democracy itself. Biden used his farewell speech to the nation to deliver a shockingly dark message: that a nation which has always revered its entrepreneurs may now be at their mercy. “An oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms,” Biden said. He named no names, but his targets were clear: men like Elon Musk
RSS